Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez lands $28M deal, richest in team history

A 22-year-old quarterback, still three months away from his first NFL pass, owns the distinction of being the highest-paid player in Jets history.

Former USC star Mark Sanchez hit the jackpot Wednesday with a five-year contract that includes $28 million in guarantees - a team record. The bare-bones amount of the deal is $44.5 million, although the true value, based on easily attainable incentives, is $50.5 million, sources said.

The contract can max out at $60 million, but Sanchez would have to play at a Tom Brady/Peyton Manning level and lead the Jets to multiple Super Bowls to hit that plateau, sources said. Sanchez didn't receive a traditional signing bonus.

"This comes with a lot of responsibility, just like being a quarterback here," Sanchez said at a news conference after a minicamp practice in Florham Park. "I'll be working every day, on and off the field, to justify this contract."

The most significant aspect of the deal is that it came so together so quickly, eliminating the possibility of a training-camp holdout. That would've derailed his chances of defeating Kellen Clemens in the quarterback competition. Now the only thing that can stop Sanchez is Sanchez.

"The one thing that really comes to my mind is, breath of fresh air and, wow, let's go now, let's really compete for this job and let's get into camp," said Sanchez, currently working with the second-team offense. "I'll be in on time and I have nothing to worry about there. It's time to focus on football."

The Jets made a bold move for Sanchez, trading up 12 spots and selecting him with the fifth pick in the April draft. Talks escalated last week, when his representatives, David Dunn and his brother, Nick Sanchez, met with Jets officials for a few days at the team's facility in Florham Park. According to Dunn, the two sides set an arbitrary deadline - tomorrow.

"Somehow," Dunn said, "the goofy deadline worked."

Said GM Mike Tannenbaum: "We were trying to create a sense of urgency even though it's still early."

That it happened so fast was stunning, a clear indication of how badly the Jets want Sanchez to be their opening-day starter. He became only the second of 32 first-round picks to sign. Matthew Stafford, the No.1 overall pick by the Lions, signed a six-year, $72 million contract on the eve of the draft. That deal included $41 million in guarantees.

It was somewhat surprising that Sanchez signed for five years, not six - the standard length for a top-five quarterback. (The Falcons' Matt Ryan signed for six years, $66 million last year.) Tannenbaum wouldn't discuss his motivation for five years, saying it was "an appropriate length." The biggest benefit of a shorter deal is less guaranteed money. The downside is that Sanchez can hit free agency sooner.

Advertisement

"From our standpoint, $28 million guaranteed will tide him over fine," Dunn said.

That tops the previous team record for a guarantee, $22 million, by linebacker Bart Scott, a free-agent acquisition.

Sanchez called it "a big weight lifted off all of our shoulders. ... It sends the right message. It's not in my make-up to hold out. That would've been terrible for me."

Shaking off a slow start, Sanchez has shown steady improvement in offseason workouts, closing the gap on Clemens. He's still not where he needs to be, but the organization is confident he'll have a grasp of the offense by the end of the preseason. Sanchez wasn't looking past his next practice.